Hot box detector



June 28, 1955 P. H. SULLIVAN 2 5 I I HOT BOX DETECTOR Filed July 31, 195:5

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United States Patent 2,711,709 Hor BOX DETECTOR Patrick H. Sullivan, Waverly, N. Y.

Application July 31, 1953, Serial No. 371,443

Claims. (Cl. 116-101) This invention relates to hot box detecting devices used in combination with railway car journal boxes, and in particular a device adapted to be substituted for a conventional dust guard which produces an odor and smoke when the temperature of the journal reaches a predetermined degree.

The purpose of this invention is to provide means for spotting a hot box on a passenger or freight train as the train passes a trainman or inspector at a station or other point on the railroad.

Various types of safety devices have been used in journal boxes to provide a warning when the temperature of the journal box reaches a predetermined degree and substantially all journal boxes are provided with a transversely positioned pocket in which an elongated comparatively narrow strip of petroleum putty, wood, plastic, or fiber is positioned to provide a dust guard plug. These plugs are manufactured by large oil companies and sold to car builders and railroads universally.

The oil used in railway car journal boxes produces an odor when the temperature reaches a predetermined de gree and this odor has been depended upon to detect a hot box. Of recent years the oil is purified to such an extent that very little, if any odor is produced when the journal is hot and this odor has been dissipated with that discharged from the exhaust of the diesel locomotive so that it is substantially impossible to detect a hot box by such means.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for producing smoke, and an odor when the temperature of a railway car journal box reaches a predetermined degree.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for detecting a hot box in railway car journals in which the detecting means may be incorporated in a conventional element of a journal box.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for forming a dust guard plug of a railway car journal box whereby the plug produces smoke and an odor when the temperature of the railway car journal, in the journal box of which the plug is used, reaches a predetermined temperature.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a safety device for indicating a hot box of a railway car journal in which the device is comparatively simple and inexpensive.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies an elongated plug, rectangularshaped in cross section adapted to be positioned in a slot of a railway car journal box and being formed with a plastic material, such as petroleum putty, crude raw rubber and sulphur.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a longitudinal .section through a railway car journal box showing the position of the improved dust guard plug in the box.

Figure 2 is a transverse or cross section through the inner end of the journal box showing the improved dust guard plug in a slot in the upper part thereof.

Figure 3 is a detail illustrating one of the improved dust guard plugs. 1'- Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved dust:

guard plug of this invention includes a bar 10 having"sub-,

stantially parallel sides 11 and 12 and having beveled or inclined end surfaces 13 and 14.

Although a bar of any suitable composition of elements may be used it is preferred to use a bar containing;

Per cent Petroleum plastic (putty) 75 Masticated rubber Sulphur 5 Both the rubber and sulphur produce a very distinctive The journal, and also the journal box may be of any suitable type or design and the dust guard plug may be designed to correspond with a pocket or slot of a differen type of journal box.

It will also be understood that although the plug is described as being formed of petroleum plastic or putty, rubber and sulphur, other suitable ingredients may be used and the parts may be provided in different proportions.

The dust guard plug of this invention includes a member adapted to be inserted in a recess or cavity in a railway journal box and the characteristics thereof are such that upon being subjected to a high temperature it will give off smoke, an odor, or both smoke and an odor.

I have found that it is possible to incorporate rubber which has the distinctive odor desired into the currently used petroleum putties and plastics without any substantial change in consistency of petroleum putty, if the rubber is first masticated to a point where mechanical degradation converts the rubber to a viscous liquid which is pourable.

Such mechanical overworked rubber is compatible with the patroleum fraction of the presently used putties and does not change the working properties.

Example A:

Per cent Petroleum plastic (putty) 70 Masticated rubber Sulphur 5 Example B:

Petroleum plastic (putty) 40 Masticated rubber Sulphur 5 Example C-more expensive:

Masticated rubber Dry filler or asbestos fiber 10 Furthermore, the odor from over-heated rubber is acknowledged by everyone as denoting a danger.

It will be understood that other modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made in the design and composition of the plug without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A dust guard plug comprising an elongated bar, rec- 1C Pat ented June 28, 1955 taingular-sh'aped in cross section, having parallel sides and inclined surfaces onthe ends, said bar containing:

Per cent Petroleum'plastic (putty) 75 Masticated rubber e 20 Sulphur 5 2'. In combination, a journal box provided with a pocket, a collar positioned in said box, a plug seated in said pocket and engaging said collar, said plug having spaced parallel sides and inclined end surfaces, said plug consisting of petroleum plastic, masticated rubber, and sulphur-J 3. In combination, a journal box provided with a pocket, a collar positioned in said box, a plug seated in said pocket and engaging said collar, said plug having spacedparallel sides and inclined end surfaces, said plug consisting of 75% petroleum plastic, 20% masticated rubber, and' 5% sulphur.

4. In combination, a journal box provided with a pocket, a collar positioned in said box, a plug seated in said pocket and engaging said collar, said plug having spaced parallel sides and inclined end surfaces, said plug.

consisting of 75% petroleum plastic, 20% masticated rubber, and 5 sulphur, said plug. providing an odor and smoke when the temperature of the plug exceeds a predetermined degree.

5. In a hot box detector, the combination which comprises a journal box having a pocket therein, a journal having a collar providing a dust guard thereon extended into the journal box and positioned with the dust guard collar in alignment with said pocket, and a plug consisting of petroleum plastic, masticated rubber, and sulphur positioned in' said pocket and adapted to'be engaged by the collar whereby upon the collar reaching a predetermined temperature the plug provides odor and smoke.

References Cited in the file'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,203,051 Green June 4, 1940 2,497,864 Clutton Feb. 21, 1950 2,543,161 Faus Feb. 27, 1951 2,552,271 Faus May 8, 1951 2,663,583 Bissell Dec. 22, 1953 2,668,067 Fitzsimmons Feb. 2, 1954 2,692,783 Foss Oct. 26, 1954 

1. A DUST GUARD COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BAR, RECTANGULAR-SHAPED IN CROSS SECTION, HAVING PARALLEL SIDES AND INCLINED SURFACES ON THE ENDS, SAID BAR CONTAINING: 